No surprise: ESA’s Ministerial Council approved (officially…) the RAMSES mission. While meeting this week (26-27 Nov… US holiday), the European Space Agency’s Council of Ministers officiated Agency matters. RAMSES is now on track to rendezvous with Apophis in ~2029, partly… Read More »RAMSES Has Rubber Stamp
The Vera Rubin Observatory is built, and preparing to start its Legacy Survey of Space and Time. These preparations, with early trials looking okay, are mainly fine tuning of optical parameters and data processes. But there’s a non-main process: targets… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (Nov)
Now out in New Scientist, vol. 268 #3569: Richard Binzel, 15 November 2025 “We don’t want to keep an asteroid secret, because then no one ever trusts you” p. 38 This week’s interview is with astronomer Richard (Rick) Binzel, well-known… Read More »NEO-Binzel New-Interview
In International Journal of Impact Engineering for November (volume 205): Kurosaki, K. Kurosawa, K. Arakawa, M. Ejection angles during hypervelocity impacts on flat and spherical targets investigated with shock physics modeling Art 105400 .2025.105400 DART! DART is the hypervelocity impact,… Read More »Note, Paper: Impact Back-Calc
Posted in arXiv, a non-peer reviewed paper, by choice. These preprint servers are also handy for distribution of whitepapers, position papers, and reference works: [multiple fields] www.arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10927 Moullet, A. Burgarella, D. Kataria, T. et al. PRIMA General Observer Science Book Volume… Read More »PRIMA Phase A Ways Elaborated
Lots of good content in Space Science Reviews lately (vol. 221). Now posted: Popescu, M. M. de Léon, J. Prodan, G. P. et al. HyperScout-H: The Hyperspectral Imager for the ESA Hera Mission art. 112 s11214-025-01237-8 The asteroid mission Hera… Read More »Space Science Reviews Hera-HS-H
The November 10 ApJ (Astrophysical Journal) (vol. 993 #2) has: Cryan, S. Brunetto, R. Guilbert-Lepoutre, A. et al. Nitrogen-bearing Species on Trans-Neptunian Objects Revealed by JWST/DiSCo-TNOs art. 188 ae060d Kimura, H. Hirai, T. Okamoto, T. et al. Tensile Strength of Dust, Pebbles, and Planetesimals:… Read More »Note, Paper: The Tensile or Volatile
The November edition of MNRAS (actually three “issues”) is now up: Volume 543, Issue 3, November Huang, C. Wu, Y. Yu, Y. Force chains bias the dynamic response to impacts in rubble-pile asteroids Pg 2523 staf1575Matsuoka, R. N. Kuramoto, K. Origin… Read More »Note, Paper: Bits Whizz, Near and Far
The Dec Acta Astronautica (vol. 237) has: Schonberg, W. Squire, M. Williamsen, J. et al. Enhancing the protection of shielded thermal protection systems in sample return spacecraft against MMOD impact p. 23 .2025.08.025Buonagura, C. Giordano, C. Cervone, A. et al.… Read More »Note, Paper: Probes… Literal Probes
Hey undergraduates, time to shape up those resumes: Extraterrestrial Materials Academy (ETMA), Lunar and Planetary Institute The LPI will hold a paid session for college students this coming Summer, Jun. 8-Aug. 15. As the title indicates, the emphasis is on… Read More »Call: Small-Body Opportunities